Nations League promotion a box ticked for Northern Ireland
Michael O’Neill’s side ended a disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on a high note 12 months ago by beating Denmark at Windsor Park, and have continued that momentum into this year.
An away win in Scotland, followed by a convincing draw in Romania, showed the solid foundation of the former Stoke City boss’ first spell in charge of the national team.
Spain seemed less of a concern when their swashbuckling opponents finally won the European Cup with a 5-1 win over Spain, while a 2-0 victory over Andorra proved once again that Conor Bra Deli’s star quality.
However, friendly performances always come with an asterisk and while the Nations League will never be as important as the qualifiers, O’Neill will be keen to see his promising side perform well in the competition.
As the frustration of turning what should have been a win into a draw subsides on Monday night, he’s able to reflect on the game as representing a step forward for a team that’s making progress while still having enough to grow. space.
“To be at the top of the group and to be able to do that is really a testament to the players and their application,” he said.
“I’m happy with the group we have. They’ve got to keep working hard and pushing, but two or three years later this is still a young group and the exciting thing is we look like a good team at the moment in time.”
